Vice President of Strategy and Business Intelligence at EGR International, a leading enterprise engagement agency. www.egrinternational.com

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As markets evolve rapidly with the constant stream of new technologies available, companies often struggle to keep their business processes evolving at the pace required to stay relevant. This often leads to more frequent organizational restructures and realignments to meet customer needs and market demands.

And yet, researchers have found that nearly three-quarters of change efforts fail or are abandoned. Why do these efforts flop? The No. 1 reason for failure is that employees actively resist changes implemented by the organization.

If you’ve ever tried to manage through a corporate reorganization, this should not surprise you. Sometimes you can almost hear the collective sigh in the room from the very employees you so desperately need to engage.

“Another year, another reorganization.”

“How will this initiative be any different than the last?”

As I work to create strategies for our global clients that will drive employee engagement and performance, I have seen first-hand how disruptive these changes can be for the rank and file. How do you keep your employees from experiencing change fatigue and prevent the deep level of skepticism that can undermine even the best-laid strategic plans?

Here are the five biggest mistakes companies make when communicating in a change management environment and my advice for how you can avoid them.

Problem No. 1:Leaving Communications Experts Out Of The Change Management Team

Solution: The first step to navigating through a significant structural or organizational change is to assemble a powerful and agile team -- and to make sure that the individuals responsible for communicating that change are at the table. Don’t forget to include your internal communications teams and any external experts, such as your public relations or engagement agencies, in key planning sessions. These communications specialists will help you think about how change affects all areas of the organization and how the changes can be contained into a larger narrative that is easily digested by everyone -- from your executive board and investors, right down to your employees in the field.

Problem No. 2: Failing To Tell A Cohesive Story

Solution: It is imperative that you craft a narrative that is authentic and inspiring to your audience. Think deeply about who you are. What are you doing and why are you doing it? Every change and adaptation should connect to your brand narrative so that you are elevating the reason for the change.

Be as transparent as you can -- your employees can smell a PR spin from a mile away. If there are cuts or headcount reductions for example, are there other areas where you are reinvesting that will ultimately benefit the employees who remain? Make sure to tell the story at the company level, but also at the personal level -- what’s in it for them? How will the change and realignment benefit them personally?

Problem No. 3: Not Engaging And Equipping Front-Line Managers

Solution: Once your narrative is defined, it’s imperative to make sure all levels of the organization are equipped with the right tools to tell that story. Executive decrees from the top are common, but front-line managers are often left out of the communication equation. And yet, research consistently shows that it’s the front-line manager who often has the greatest effect on whether an organizational change or restructure is truly embraced by the employees. In fact, in Gallup’s State of the American Manager Report, researchers note that it's the managers who account for 70% of the variance when it comes to employee engagement, so it’s critical to get this demographic on board with your message.

Hold special information sessions for front-line managers, give them tools and resources to communicate the change to their team members, and train them to overcome objections or identify risk areas as new processes are implemented.

Problem No. 4:Shying Away From Feedback

Solution: To truly manage successfully through change, you need a feedback loop that is meaningful. We consistently see corporate leadership shy away from authentic listening activities as they are often afraid to open Pandora's box by soliciting feedback from the very people who are most affected by the change.

You have two choices here. You can continue to let people grumble around the water cooler and ignore the building tension or you can acknowledge some things about the change that aren’t perfect, address them head-on and make sure your employees know they have been heard. It’s a no-brainer.

Don’t be afraid to use different methods -- surveys, workshops and focus groups -- to gather feedback and respond. Make sure you gather quantitative data but don’t skip the qualitative feedback. Sometimes the one thing you really need to hear is the thing you didn’t think to ask. Gather this information, report it back transparently to the employees when appropriate, and tell them very directly what you are doing to make improvements and address their concerns.

Problem No. 5: Forgetting To Share Your Successes

Solution: Organizational change can be painful at first but, ultimately, it is designed to pay dividends to the company and the employee -- so be sure to articulate those successes. Set clear and measurable goals that are related to the initiative, measure them over time and report good news back to the employees when you have it.

Be sure to leverage the power of peer-to-peer interactions. According to Nielsen's findings, 83% of people are more likely to trust the recommendations of friends and colleagues than traditional advertising, making peer-to-peer communications the most trustworthy source of information for most people. You might create a video series that focuses on personal success stories recounted peer-to-peer or employ contests and incentives that recognize and encourage individuals to drive toward the new organizational goals. Over time this positive energy will build -- providing momentum and driving results.

With the right team, the right narrative and the right long-term communication plan, you can ensure that the change so badly needed in your organization is adopted and embraced by the employees who will ultimately guarantee its success.